Stalking the Blogosphere Looking For Pain and Suffering

You need to know what they want to change, what they want to do, and what they want to be. Not only that, you need to know what blog topics will compel them to take the action you want them to take – such as joining your email list, or buying your products or services.

How do you do all that?

You figure out their pain point – the thing they are struggling with.

Every day, your potential readers are trawling the blogs in your niche trying to find answers to the questions keeping them up at night. And they’re getting frustrated because they can’t find anyone who can help.

With over 80 comments, it’s one of the site’s most successful guest posts.

And if you read those comments, you’ll see several readers talking about how “timely” they found the information inside the post – proof they not only liked reading it, they found it useful.

That’s the key to writing blog posts people want to read.

Usefulness.

How did I know Mirasee’s readers would find my post useful? Because I followed a simple formula.

Let me walk you through it…

The Simple Formula That Helps You Create Popular Posts

Step 1. Find Their Pain

At the time I wrote my guest post for Mirasee, there were lots of posts across the web advising people on how guest blogging is an excellent technique for driving traffic back to your blog.

And it is – if you know how to do it right and if you know that getting your guest post accepted and published is only part of the strategy.

That is why people found my post so useful.

All the advice out there talked openly about how to write a guest post, or how to pitch a guest post and get it accepted, or how it could build an email list. But they were leaving out the most important part.

That’s why so many people were struggling to make their guest posts drive traffic back to their blogs.

How did I know they were struggling? I listened.

Before writing my guest post for Mirasee, I researched other posts that had been written on the topic.

However, I wasn’t interested in what those posts were discussing – I was interested in what the readers of those posts were discussing. More accurately, I was interested in what they were complaining about.

I kept reading comments like “guest posting hasn’t worked in driving traffic for me.” Or “I’ve written several guest posts that just haven’t delivered the traffic I expected.”

Comments like these were goldmines of information because they showed me that people were following the blogosphere’s well-worn advice on guest blogging as a great traffic-generation strategy, but they weren’t getting the results they wanted or expected.

It was clear there were gaps in the advice people were getting. Missing steps. Want to discover the pain points for readers? You need to keep your eyes peeled for gaps like these.

Then you need to go fill those gaps.

Step 2. Take Away Their Pain (Solve Their Problem)

The most important part of getting traffic from guest posts – the part other tutorials on the web were failing to address – is promotion.

Not many people seemed to recognize the need for a well-executed promotion plan for their guest posts. If you want to drive traffic back to your blog, such a plan is a must.

And you know what? Mirasee’s readers loved it. They loved it and found the information incredibly useful.

That’s the beauty of finding out people’s pains – the thing they’re struggling with, the thing that’s not working for them, the piece of advice they’ve been failing to receive.

When you find the ailment, and when you give them the cure, they’re hooked.

They’ll happily read every piece of content you write.

But it doesn’t stop there…

Of course, merely knowing the pain points of readers isn’t enough. You have to execute.

You have to get your solutions, your blog posts, in front of these struggling readers.

And you do that by echoing their problems or frustrations back to them in your headlines.

For instance, look at my headline:

“Why Your Guest Posts Don’t Drive Traffic To Your Blog (and What To Do About It)”

In this headline, I repeated their problem to them and offered a solution. I offered them a way to actually change their poor traffic results for results they wanted and expected.

Let’s undress this. You’ll see in the image below how this 2-part headline repeats the problem of guest posts not driving traffic back to your blog.

The first half pinpoints the problem: guests posts not driving traffic.

The second half offers a solution and a promise: “Ah, finally, a way to make my guest posts work!”

If you’re struggling with this problem, would this headline get your attention?

Of course it would.

It presents a known problem, and then provides a solution.

Let’s dive into this concept in more detail…

The Problem-Solution Content Method

It’s how I wrote what quickly became one of the popular posts on my blog, Traffic Smart Marketing…

This headline is almost a direct quote from a disgruntled, discouraged, and frustrated reader who left a comment on a blog post I read:

“With all the blogging tips, tactics, etc. out there, it’s hard to know which one to follow without getting burned.”

I understood this commenter’s pain. I knew what it was like to be struggling as a blogger and hoping that some piece of advice out there was actually going to work (and not turn out to be another dud).

So, I wrote a post about this strategy on my blog. The results speak for themselves.

Finding the Pain

I searched for pains in my niche in places where my potential readers hang out.

I searched in forums like Reddit, private Facebook groups, and in the comments sections of blogs that focus on Blogging and Blogging For Business.

And what did I find? I found comments and questions like these…

This comment was from a reader of one of my guest posts.

“…feeling discouraged today, another post but little response.” – This was a comment shared by a member of a Facebook group I belong to.

“How do you figure out what to blog about? How do you get people to read it?” – This was from a person on Reddit.

These are a just a few of the problems expressed by people still struggling to find readers (and asking for help).

They’ll be people like them in your field, or topic, or niche – whatever you want to call it. You just need to look for them.

Offering the Solution

You need to put their “deep heart” problem into your headline. The pain I kept finding was related to lack of readership. So, I came up with the following headline:

“Why Nobody Reads Your Blog Posts (and What To Do About It)”

By putting their “deep heart” problem into my headline, I immediately grabbed the reader’s attention.

But it isn’t enough to simply call out their problem. Any yahoo can do that. No, you have to make a promise…

“Yes, I know you have this problem. But guess what? I have a solution. Just read this!”

But it doesn’t stop there. Yes, you’ve hooked them with your headline, but the best headline in the world won’t do you any good if your opening paragraphs suck.

Show them they were right to click on your headline or “Read more…” because – hey! – you really know what they’re going through. Someone like you is bound to have an answer. Right?

So, reflect their thoughts and feelings back to them.

For instance, if you find your pain point via comments saying something like this…

“What I really want to know is how does one go about finding where one’s readers hang out in the first? It’s all very well saying I should go where my readers hang out. But where is that? What if I can’t find them when I get there?”

…you take those words a frustrated commenter used to describe their problem and use them in your opening paragraph.

(Incidentally, I used a reader’s comment very like this one to write this blog post.)

And once you’ve hooked them with your opening paragraph, answer their questions. Give a solution to their problem. Just make sure you don’t give too many solutions.

The problem is, people think “more is better,” but in the real world, long product lists are conversion killers. And if you want to increase your sales by 1,000%, you must streamline your offerings.

One solution for one problem prevents your readers from feeling overwhelmed.

“One thing? I can do that,” they’ll think to themselves.

And then they’ll go do that one thing. If you’ve done your homework, found their pain point and offered a well-thought-out solution, you’ll see them again. They’ll return to your blog, subscribe to your list, leave you comments, and share your posts.

And when you have a product to sell, they’ll be among the first to purchase it.

Are You Ready To Write Blog Posts People Want To Read?

Then it’s time to find people’s pain points.

Writing blog posts people want to read is all about knowing your audience; your readers. Who are they? Where are they? What are they suffering from?

Find out what’s troubling them and then offer a solution.

They’ll love you for it.

What do you think of The Problem-Solution Content Method? Have you tried it? Are you going to? Leave a comment below and let Kevin and me know.

[avatar email=”tom_southern@yahoo.co.uk” size=”125″]Tom Southern quit his job to focus on helping people like you take the frustration out of getting traffic to your blog. If you’d like to know how to put The Problem-Solution Content Method to work for your next blog post, or want his little-known, highly-effective tips for getting traffic, join his list here.

You’re handling people the secret to getting more traffic for their blog.

Here are other ways I think people could benefit from the comments of other people:

1. They could use it in the headlines. You talked about this in the post.
2. Use it in the intro. Show people that you care about them. Paint their situation, so they say, yes that’s me, so they continue reading it.
3. Use it in the middle of the post to encourage people to continue reading the post.

I’m sure this will help you get higher engagement, get more traffic, and get make your readers more loyal.

Please don’t go to my website..it is dormant because I am still a bit scared to go there myself..can you believe..
Anyway am astonished by the synchronisation ..stuff that I need just appearing right in front of my eyes..
Your posts had huge impact on me …so much that I have enrolled myself in a course ..guestposting.
No of course I do not feel fit for what I am busy biting off..
And yet there is a little voice in the back of my mind telling me I have what is required to get there even if it does take some time
I thank you for allowing me to join you on facebook
I enjoy the straightforward message of tonight while I am actually busy answering an email for Eric…there goes the surname oh dear…but I suppose you know the one and only Eric…lol…
His question to me?
“What keeps me up at night in the cold sweat of my business..”
You will understand the synchronisation.
Good night ..I am done for now
Listening to good background music whilst it is raining right next to me on the other side of my bedroom window…

Great to have you stop by and take the time to leave your comment, really appreciate it.

I know where you’re coming from about being scared to put yourself out there. I’ve been there too. Sometimes, it takes a while to find your courage to set your
creativity and ideas free for others to share and benefit from.

Just keep on engaging with other bloggers and learning the steps day by day and, you’ll start finding your feet and how to get started again on your blog and making your dreams come true.

Just keep going, Leonnie. You can do it. For instance, your writing has a poetic touch to it which is very engaging.

There are others who feel like you do, perhaps you can use your blog to give them the steps you learn as you go.

Truthfully, Tom, this post is simple and direct. And it’ll interest you to know it answers the nagging question about what to write. Really.

Recently, I’ve been struggling with writing posts that would connect with my readers. I found I’m quick to churn out terrific posts…only it’s what I love and I think would resonate with my audience. Not what addresses their pain point.

Been stumbling in the dark for a while. But reading this now, I’ll have to pause my publishing schedule for next week and take time to figure out my readers’ pain point instead of giving them what I think they’ll love.

Oh, and that explains why most “great” content fall flat.

Thanks indeed for this, Tom.

Useful, simple, crunchy guide.

— Yusuff Busayo

PS: First it was “dollop of thanks on BBT”. Now it’s “chuffed” on BaBB. Wonder what else you have lurking in that sweet, genius hat of yours, Tom

Excellent Guest post, Tom. Your useful problem-solution idea is appreciated.
It also helps if a site receives insightful comments for getting ideas for what the community is interested in reading. An engaging blog that welcomes conversation like Kevin’s, Be a Better Blogger is ideal for learning from readers. ~Keri

It sounds like such a simple formula, doesn’t it: Find their pain and then give them a solution. And you’re absolutely right. That’s what you need to do. But it’s not that simple. It’s hard yakka (that’s Australian for hard work), and very few people tell you that when you’re starting out. I read recently that something like 90% of all new blogs fail, because people can’t or won’t put in the hard yards to make them work.

Here’s my pain point (maybe you can use it for another post): I think it’s really important to have a basic understanding of the technical side of running a blog, but I find it the most frustrating and time-consuming aspect of blogging. I’m determined to master it (let’s face it, I can’t afford to outsource it all, yet), but I’d much rather get on with writing posts than struggling to make plug-ins work, or set up data analysis tools. If you can solve this problem for me, I’ll personally buy you a Yorkshire Bitter next time I’m passing through the UK!

Yes, it can be hard work finding out those deep heart problems when you’re starting out. That’s why it’s so good to spend time reading blogs on topics you’re interested in blogging about and also the comments.

On top of these, listening to webinar Q&As, can be good too. Forums and Facebook Groups also.

It can be hard sticking at blogging when working full-time. I hear from readers who are working such long hours that they only have a few hours a week to spend on their blog.

This leads on to your point about the technical side of blogging. I know exactly
what you mean. That’s what I find the most frustrating, especially when I was brand new. I found my theme support a great help and as for plugins, I only have a few necessary ones and try to limit any further ones to those that I need. Askimet is a free plugin that saves you having to delete spam comments, so that’s a must in my book.

I’m not a big fan of SEO so I don’t do much analysis of who’s what, where. Partly because in the beginning, until you’re getting lots of traffic, it’s a waste of time. Setting up Google Analytics took me several attempts and lots of rude words before I got it to where it tells me how much traffic I’m getting and from where. Perhaps the only analytic I pay attention to at the moment is “Returning
Readers” which is increasing nicely.l

Solving your tech problems so you can concentrate on writing – I could give you the name of the theme I use. They have really good training videos that walk you through what you need to do as well as helpful support. Plugins, keep to a minimum as I say. Also, if you get a good hosting service, they’ll help sort things out for you too. And if you like I could do some video explanation of how to set up Google Analytics so at least you’ve got the basics. Send me a PM in the FB group if you’d like this and we’ll go from there.

Wooooo Tom! Dude you already know this is an awesome and kick a$$ blog post. This is definitely something that I am working hard at getting better at with my blog posts (thanks to Don Purdums) consultations.

You have certainly hit the nail on the head in this one with getting out there and finding out what your readers are struggling with then providing a solution to those problems.

So glad to hear you’re getting such good advice on how to make it work for you.

Your readers will give you the best ideas of what to write about and what products or service to create that they’ll buy. This is the greatest aspect of getting to know their “deep heart problems”, they can quickly get to see you as a real solution to what’s been frustrating them and keeping them from what they want to do.

Tom, this is so timely :>
After our little chat the other day, you got me thinking, and I actually need to read more of your stuff. Get focused, find my potential client’s real pain points and start writing to address that (and stop writing whatever comes into my head).

Hey Tom,
I love this topic you have addressed as it is one of the main steps into moving in to the right direction.

I guess it’s like an illness or disease, if people don’t know what’s wrong then how can they identify their problem and find their solution.
I love the points you have covered here in clear detail. It’s impossible for us to miss and now it is even more clearer there is no excuse for any of us to begin to attract more traffic. Enjoyed the post-Jennifer

Thanks for taking time to add your thoughts here. You’re right, it is a little like missing a diagnosis, or even mis-diagnosing. Knowing what your audience wants to really know, or what their real problems are, can speed up your chances of creating a loyal and engaged audience and income.

Getting yourself in front of the right people in this way means you don’t need a lot of traffic to your blog, to start getting known for having solutions and so making income.

It is a fact that If we help someone, If we help them to solve their problems and help them to overcome their pains then that person will never forget you.

Same thing applies to blogging. If we will write such kind of content which can solve others issues and help them to overcome their pains then definitely they will want to read our blog again and again.

You have covered such a detailed and nice article here. Thanks for sharing it with us. 😀

Great post Tom. I love the problem-solution approach to blogging and use it a lot in my own content. In fact, I’ve mentioned it a couple times on my site too. One of my favorite places to find my audience’s pain points is Twitter. With some advanced searches, it can be a goldmine.

I also clicked over and read your article on guest blogging you mentioned. There are some great actionable tips in there too.

Good to hear you’re already using this method. Yes, Twitter can be a good source for some people, although not everyone. I think different “watering holes” attract different groups of people with specific pains. I’ve hear Twitter is a good source for coders and programmers.

What niche/topic are you in?

Thanks for checking out my guest post article. Hope it gives you a plan for any
future guest posting you’re thinking of doing.

Thank-you. It’s good to hear that you’ve found this strategy resonates with you. That’s my goal. Love also, how you give it all a foodie simile. I wonder if you’ve come across Tea Silvestre and her blog, StoryBistro. She adds food and blogging together. If you don’t already know of her, you might like to check her out. Let her know I tipped you a nod in her direction.

Did you join my email list? Thanks so much. Look forward to getting your answers to those 2 Welcome questions.

Good to see you here on Kevin’s blog. This was a fantastic post. It’s super important to know your target audience. If you don’t know what they want, you can’t give it to ’em!

I will have to read that guest post on driving traffic to your blog because I am about to send one (of my first) guest posts in. 🙂

I always like headlines that say (And What to Do About it) or have big benefit with objection destroyer (Even If….) after they address a problem, it makes the whole post a lot more compelling and persuasive.

The problem-solution tactic is excellent. I’ve known it for a while, but I haven’t consciously constructed a post in this way.

Thanks for the welcome. I’m proud Kevin asked me to write for him and BaBB readers. It’s a great opportunity.

You got it! And if you can’t give it to them, you got no blog, or income future, right? Excellent point!

Yes, I know what you mean about headlines that offer solutions to a problem they highlight. Objection destroyer – I like that term. You might like the post on my blog, Traffic Smart Marketing, that offers just such an objection destroyer: 23 Tips For Growing A Blog (Even If You’ve Failed Several Times In The Past). I used brackets but I like your idea of using a dash before the word “Even”.

That post actually also came out of a “deep heart problem” I shared with a fellow blogger who’d also known failure online before finally discovering what it took to be successful.

I recommend you try this problem-solution strategy, Jasper. It can be a little hard to resist not writing content you think readers should want but once you see the response, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it earlier. 🙂

Yes, that article on guest posting will really help you drive more traffic back to your blog. Be sure and tweet me a link to your guest post won’t you? And let me know if you’d like any further advice for driving traffic back to your blog. I’ll be happy to help.

Great to hear from you, Jasper and thanks for taking time to add your thoughts to this conversation.

We all have this problem and deal with the frustration of little or no response. Your simple formula provides a plan to get back in the game with a new strategy. Sorry. Gotta go! I’m looking for some pain.

Wow, I feel like a very amateur blogger right now. I’m still getting my blog topics from a list I wrote before I even started the blog. I haven’t even considered what my readers want me to write about!

I guess I should toss that list and start having more dialogues with my readers.

Ha-Ha, thanks for your kind compliment. Starting out can be hard for everyone.

Finding what the people who you want reading your blog are asking questions
about, or voicing comments about, is an excellent way for new bloggers to find
great content to publish that’ll get traffic and creating interest in your new blog.

Writing better post that would make you more visitors, is really a tough job to be carried upon.
I am always bit nervous that what should I include in my content, as if I am going wrong ways,
there are very less who would be laying focus upon my article and makes me correct.

Thanks for this very helpful post, I certainly figured out to work and how to engage more visitors for my blog.

^ That really resonated with me, because honestly… I struggle with headlines. I don’t think I’m an awful writer. People generally do stay on my blog for a while. I get a decent number of shares and comments…

But I think I have trouble capturing the attention of new visitors because my headlines are often kinda weak.

I’m going to give some thought to the idea of identifying the problem right in the headline… maybe more focus on the problem, and less focus on the solution.
‘
Thanks!

Great to see you here and thanks for taking time out to add your thoughts. Getting headlines right can take time, can’t it? And you need to come with headlines that not only grab the attention of your intended audience but also fit
with your ethos and message.

You may find practicing writing headlines daily helps you get proficient. I enjoy
practicing headlines and try to spend at least 30 minutes coming up with headlines for different content.

This problem-solution-content method is a great way to come up with headlines because it lets you focus on just what your intended audience wants to know.

This method lets you focus on a solution that your intended audience is telling you it wants. This is the beauty of it.

Just left you a comment on your latest blog post on niches. So I started reading this article over here, and I thought, wow, this voice sounds eerily familiar – and then I realized it was you – one and the same – person that I was just commenting on. It’s crazy how our voice can be so recognizable – that’s a compliment to you for being you.

Won’t be a novel here, just want to say thank you for a great informative article and more great points to consider – I also made it through all the comments – because like you, I do love to read what people have to say. I want to see if there’s any useful things they can add or questions they have.

Do you only choose pains and problems that you know you have your own unique answer to – or do you often do a lot of research to solve the issues?

Kind of you to say so. Achieving a unique or recognisable voice is one of the great results this problem-solution content method can do for you.

Thanks for taking time to add your thoughts here too, Maria, great to have you stop by. You’ll find that when you know what your readers want (including your potential readers) and write posts that deliver, you’ll grow your readership, subscribers and they’ll start coming to you for help and advice.

In answer to your question, not always. I sometimes look for pains that maybe linked to what I know answers to, for example, if someone wants to know how to get traffic from Youtube, I’ll send them a link to a post someone else has written that I think they’ll find useful. Then follow up to see if they did. This helps build up relationships so that when they want to know about something else, they’ll come looking to see if I can help.

“OMG, how did you know…?” – I love that phrase of yours, Don. And it’s true. People don’t want to know scatter gun details, spread thin to match everyone’s problems. They want specific details that meet their needs only.

I think scatter gun, one-size-fits-all details that fills a lot of content of there is why so many people are not getting answers and getting so frustrated with why they can’t find details that give them quality answers for what they want.

When you know what those details are they’re so desperately seeking, and deliver, you become a breath of fresh air to those frustrated people. And they can’t help but be attracted to your content and to hear your message and are open to learning from you.

Yes, and what you have hit on goes much wider than writing blog posts. So many people struggle with defining their ideal customer, myself included. What you suggest is cracking advice for getting inside their head and is so important from copy on the website, landing pages, opt ins and offers.

Good to hear from you. Thanks for taking time to comment. Can’t wait to hear about what your blog’s about and how this problem-solution content method helps you grow your audience. Let me know if you’d like any further advice or feedback as you apply it.

You’re a talented writer, Tom!
It’s obvious from your writing style and practical approach –you engage your readers.
The blog strategy that you’ve recommended here also works well for optin email offers – research pains of our target readers and help solve it through free content as a manageable solution.
The tricky part is reaching your ideal readers. It helps to feature content on the blogs or social media sites they read. Helping fellow bloggers out by referring people to blogs they’d find useful is also valuable.
Maybe we could also help each other recommend where readers look for specific topics.
~Keri